Nature Reserves
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Lydenburg The Sterkspruit Nature Reserve is situated just outside of Lydenburg in Mpumalanga. The reserve's escarpment incorporates highveld grassland, forested kloofs, wooded stream banks, and quartzite cliffs. The natural habitat is perfect for fly fishing, bird watching, and hiking.
The reserve is home to a variety of mammals, including porcupine, aardwolf and the Cape clawless otter. There are over a hundred and fifty bird species, such as the ground woodpecker, bush blackcap, and blackwinged plover. The hiking trails offer stunning views of the majestic hills surrounding the reserve, and the Sterkspruit River is filled with rainbow trout for the enthusiastic fisherman.
Nature Reserves
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Waterval Boven Rocky Drift Nature Reserve lies in the valleys of the Waterval Boven area in Mpumalanga. The spectacular mountain terrain is a popular destination for rock climbing and hiking.
There is a fresh water stream which is nourished by the Joubert Spruit tributary of the Elands river. The nature reserve boasts a wide variety of wild life, including bush buck, baboon, klipspringer, duiker, steenbok, vaal reed buck, vervet monkeys, leopard, genet, rooikat, and rock pythons.
The slopes of the valley were once used by President Paul Kruger's commandos during their escape to exile in Maputo.
Things to do near
Highlands Meander
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
Animal Parks
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Dullstroom (19.1 km from Highlands Meander) Catch a flying display of birds of prey, guided by a professional falconer. A worthwhile visit for any bird enthusiast and photographer.
Displays start at 10:30 to 14:30.
Popular Attractions
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Dullstroom (22.6 km from Highlands Meander) Come and experience the thrill of seeing your clay disk explode into a puff of smoke. Here at Field and Stream, you can try out this exciting activity; clay pigeon shooting.
The range is open every Saturday, with additional days available upon prior arrangement.
Galleries and Museums
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Lydenburg (41.9 km from Highlands Meander) The Lydenburg Museum focuses on the cultural, archaeological and ethnographic history of the Pedi area. The museum’s current location is in the Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve, home to a variety of indigenous antelope, small mammals and birds of the typical grasslands habitat.
The museum features excellent exhibits of early human occupation of the area, the most notable being the Lydenburg Heads. Other displays feature early gold mining and military history along with many cultural exhibits.
Waterfall
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Waterval Boven (45.3 km from Highlands Meander) The Elands River Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Mpumalanga and is situated at one of South Africa's top rock climbing destinations.
With a unique split and a plummet of 70 m, Elands River Falls is just as dramatic and scenic as South Africa's highest waterfall, the 90 m Lisbon Falls.
Access to the observation platform is through the old ZAZM tunnel built in the late 1800s for the rail track between the towns Waterval Onder and Waterval Boven (meaning 'above the waterfall'), now named Emgwenya (Zulu for 'place of the crocodile').
Nature Reserves
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Waterval Boven (48.3 km from Highlands Meander) Rocky Drift Nature Reserve lies in the valleys of the Waterval Boven area in Mpumalanga. The spectacular mountain terrain is a popular destination for rock climbing and hiking.
There is a fresh water stream which is nourished by the Joubert Spruit tributary of the Elands river. The nature reserve boasts a wide variety of wild life, including bush buck, baboon, klipspringer, duiker, steenbok, vaal reed buck, vervet monkeys, leopard, genet, rooikat, and rock pythons.
The slopes of the valley were once used by President Paul Kruger's commandos during their escape to exile in Maputo.
Nature Reserves
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Lydenburg (48.6 km from Highlands Meander) The Sterkspruit Nature Reserve is situated just outside of Lydenburg in Mpumalanga. The reserve's escarpment incorporates highveld grassland, forested kloofs, wooded stream banks, and quartzite cliffs. The natural habitat is perfect for fly fishing, bird watching, and hiking.
The reserve is home to a variety of mammals, including porcupine, aardwolf and the Cape clawless otter. There are over a hundred and fifty bird species, such as the ground woodpecker, bush blackcap, and blackwinged plover. The hiking trails offer stunning views of the majestic hills surrounding the reserve, and the Sterkspruit River is filled with rainbow trout for the enthusiastic fisherman.
Four By Four Trails
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Nelspruit (56.4 km from Highlands Meander) Do you have true grit? Don't mind dirtying your shiny urban 4x4? Test your driving skills through a series of extremely steep ascents and gripping descents on one of the leading 4x4 trails in South Africa.
The Riverwild 4x4 Off-road Recreation Experience offers several routes with a variety of challenging natural obstacles – try the River Rat Run, Croc Crossing and Shongololo, the ultimate long and winding bush tunnel.
Safety, vehicle care and enjoyment are the cornerstones around which the Riverwild 4x4 trails were developed. Cross-country drives and trips in the scenic surrounding forest are available for off-road vehicles without low range. A wide range of exciting adventure and recreation activities are also offered.
Popular Attractions
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Sudwala Valley (61.8 km from Highlands Meander) The Sudwala Caves are an incredibly deep system of caverns lying in the Mpumalanga region of the Drakensberg escarpment. Considered the oldest known caves in the world, this astonishing unplumbed complex of passages and giant chambers extend into the mysterious Mankelexele massif.
The caves are situated in the Precambrian dolomite rocks of the Malmani Group, formed over a period of some 3 000 million years, capturing in stone an era when this place was a shallow inland sea.
The very earliest known life forms are preserved in fossil form in these rocks. In the cave are fossils of the first oxygen producing plants on the earth called collenia – fossilised bacterial colonies that date back 2.2 billion years! And there's a Dinosaur Park too. Kids will love the life-size monsters guarding the cave entrance.
Keen for adventure? Time your visit on the last Saturday of the month and join one of the popular Crystal Tours inside the deeper chambers. You will be required to crawl through some sections be prepared to get wet. It lasts for six hours and bookings are essential.
+27 (0) 13 733 4152
www.sudwalacaves.co.za
Hiking Trail
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Machadodorp (62.7 km from Highlands Meander) The spectacular Num-Num Hiking Trail offers seasoned hikers a self-guided three to five day hiking trail in Mpumalanga. The route takes walkers through a spectacular variety of Highveld Escarpment terrain including indigenous forest, sandstone labyrinths, grasslands and waterfalls. The scenic route delivers panoramic views of the Komati Gorge and the Skurweberg stretching all the way to Swaziland. There are plenty of opportunities to spot game and birds.
Five comfy and unique overnight camps provide equipped kitchens and hot showers. A slackpacking service is available – organizers transport your luggage to the camp so that you only need to walk with your daypack.
The climate is suitable all year around. Winter months are cold in the evenings but glorious and dry during the day. The summer months are warmer but there is a high chance of rain in the afternoons. Public holidays are popular so it is advisable to book well in advance.
Hikers need to be reasonably fit and agile; the trail is rated by Green Flag as moderate to difficult. Footpaths take visitors through landscapes that cannot be accessed by vehicles. Be prepared for plenty of swing bridges and ladders, steep hills and descents into stunning gorges. There are also sandstone formations that you clamber through and over.
View three Num-Num Hiking Trail camps:
Pongola Express
Candlewood Camp
Aloe Kaya
Waterfall
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Mpumalanga (65.1 km from Highlands Meander) Lone Creek Falls is a well-known spot and is part of the waterfall route in the area of Sabie, Mpumalanga.
A short 200 m walk from the parking will take you to the foot of the waterfall. If you'd like to experience the falls in solitude and away from the crowd there is a path from the parking leading to the top of the falls. The walk is not too difficult and the viewpoint will not disappoint you.
Waterfall
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Sabie (67.2 km from Highlands Meander) The Bridal Veil Falls is approximately 6 km from the tranquil and attractive town of Sabie. The waterfall resembles a bridal veil and roars down from a spectacular height of 70 m.
There is a challenging 750 m walk through a luscious indigenous forest before one can see the waterfall. The scenic walk has many streams and is covered with wild flowers and ferns.
Popular Attractions
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Ohrigstad (71.4 km from Highlands Meander) The Alpha Omega Bible Sculpture Garden can be found on the way to Echo Caves just off the R36 road before the turnoff to Graskop. Local artist Ron van Zyl did the spiritually inspired artwork.
Popular Attractions
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Sabie (72.8 km from Highlands Meander) For the avid fishermen out there this is an ideal place to go and practice the art of trout fishing. Facilities are available to make the whole family comfortable including braai areas; a tuck shop and a kiddie play area.
Popular Attractions
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Sabie (72.8 km from Highlands Meander) Sir Herbert Baker designed this quaint little church situated in the heart of Sabie. The building began in 1913 and was carried out by Mr. Gemignani and his team of Italian stonemasons. Beautifully designed, this is well worth a visit for any history fanatic.
Galleries and Museums
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Sabie (72.8 km from Highlands Meander) Sabie is surrounded by one of the largest man-made forests in the world. Forestry first began in the area in 1876 with plantings of commercial eucalyptus and wattle trees. The museum documents the history of the industry and also showcases new techniques that are being utilized.